Since this has been a week of lies and rumors (or has it?), I thought I’d continue the trend.
I don’t know where I first heard this—a screenwriting blog some years ago, I think—but it described the Coen brothers’ writing process. Ethan and Joel have been top screenwriters in Hollywood since the late 80s and the 90s with hits like Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. They’ve continued their success ever since with many more movies, including No Country for Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the forthcoming The Tragedy of Macbeth (maybe they’re not responsible for all the plotting on this last example, or some of the others too).
In other words, they know how to write.
The story goes that one brother writes a scene, usually ending with the main character in an impossible position, and then hands the writing over to the other brother to see if he can write the protagonist out of that situation, only for him to end the scene in yet another hell, before passing it back again.
Back and forth and back and forth they go—according to the rumor—until they have another smash hit.
Their process then seems to be to consistently find a series of impossible obstacles for their main characters to overcome. The audience go through that same emotional rollercoaster of tension and despair as these cinematic heroes face death once again only to feel that relief and elation as they yet again prevail.
For some reason, many—if not most—of us enjoy these thrills, as long as it’s from the safety of our armchair/couch/flip-down movie theater chair.
But not all of us have a close family member or friend we can—or want to—work with like this. Writing, we are so often told, is a solitary pursuit. So how can the rest of us recreate the same ups and downs that will keep readers turning those pages?
Fortunately, I have the answer.
Unfortunately, you have to read on to find out.
Fortunately, I won’t make it too long.
Unfortunately, it’s already taking longer than it should.
OK, that’s a poor illustration of how this works. And, if you haven’t guessed yet, it’s based on the game Fortunately/Unfortunately. It’s a perfect road trip game or for distracting kids when they’ve been spending too much time on their phones, and it’s often used in classes for people learning English as a new language. It’s fun, and it follows a similar process to the (rumored) method the Coens use.
The first person starts with a situation that begins (but doesn’t have to) with “fortunately,” then the next person has to come up with follow-up that starts with “unfortunately,” tthen he next with a “fortunately,” and so on. Let’s go to the Coen brothers for an example. This is part of the basic plot from Fargo:
(Fortunately,) Jerry Lundegaard has secured a $300,000 loan for his car dealership.
Unfortunately, the loan officer discovers he committed fraud on his loan application.
Fortunately, Jerry’s father-in-law is very rich.
Unfortunately, he won’t lend Jerry the money.
Fortunately, Jerry’s mechanic knows a couple of guys who could kidnap Jerry’s wife and get the ransom money from her father.
Unfortunately, things go horribly wrong.
Unfortunately, this is not the truth about how the Coen brothers actually write. It’s a way more collaborative process that, as they revealed in the book The Making of the Big Lebowski by Tricia Cooke and William Preston Robertson, involves a lot of naps.
Fortunately, it’s still a useful process to go through to create those emotional highs and lows that keep readers engaged in a story. It’s something that’s worth trying in the early stages of your story planning process or when you get a little stuck with what’s going to happen next.
It can be a useful way to brainstorm your story with another person or even several people in a creative writing workshop. Present them with the situation in your story and see where a series of fortunately/unfortunately takes you. It really can be fun.
What’s your writing process? What techniques do you use to vary the emotions throughout your story.
About Jim Dempsey
Jim Dempsey (he/him) is a book editor who specializes in detailed analysis and editing of novel manuscripts through his company, Novel Gazing. He has worked as an editor for more than 20 years. He has a master’s degree in creative writing and is a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and is a trustee of the Arkbound Foundation. Jim is fascinated by the similarities between fiction and psychotherapy, since both investigate the human condition, the things that make us uniquely human. He explores this at The Fiction Therapist website. If you have a specific concern with your novel, send an email to jim [at] thefictiontherapist.com, or visit the website to ask for a free sample edit. You can follow Jim on Instagram @the_fiction_therapist.
This sounds like a good tip/trick to help with writing a synopsis. And any tip to do that is welcome in my mind.
Thanks!
I usually just write a bunch of scenes to see how the character reacts. Then realize I need to put them into situations to reveal other reactions. Eventually, a plot emerges.
Yes, Ada, I hadn’t thought about using this for writing a synopsis. Excellent idea. Seems like you’ve got a sound process for writing too, no need to bounce back and forth with a writing partner.
All the best with it.
Another great tool to add to my toolbox. Thank you!
Glad I could help, Ane.
Because of this…then that. Fortunately…unfortunately. Yes!!! I’m currently in the middle of re-writng a synopsis that failed to hit those beats. On this go-round, after clarifying them in revision, I’m finding them and making them pop. It’s helping me with my pitch and it’s how I got through a fist draft of the next book in 8 months instead of 8 years. And yes, there were a lot of naps involved. I really like your question about varying emotions. One my challenges has been to sense where the reader needs a break or things get too slow. Reading helps enormously. And of course, watching Cohen Bros. movies. Currently I’m re-watching the West Wing (X3) and seeing this done brilliantly by Aron Sorkin. Thanks for a great post this morning, Jim.
Sorkin is certainy a very accomplished writer, and I’ve been hearing of more people going back to West Wing. Could be ideal for the coming long winder nights.
And yes, it’s all about the because of this…then that. Cause and effect. I firnly believe that’s what stories are all about: this happens which leads logically and inevitably to this next thing, which then leads logically and inevitably to the next, and so on.
Great that your writing is going so well too. Eight months for a first draft is impressive. Good luck with it.
jim, what a great game and tool to hone in on ups and downs–the key to successful stories. i like another game called twisted wish.
I don’t know twister wish, Vijaya. I’ll have to check it out now.
Thanks.
So it’s essentially A Series of Unfortunate and Fortunate Events. ;-)
This is brilliant, Jim. I’m always after succinct ways of describing the rollercoaster of plot. The most recent I’ve come across, during a workshop at the Surrey International Writing Conference, goes as follows:
Does the main character accomplish their goal? Until the end, scenes answer this question with the two following possibilities: Yes, but… OR No, and… (I think that speaks to the see-sawing structure you’ve described.)
At the story’s end, however, as you start to close off plot threads, the final scenes become either: Yes, and… OR No, but…
I like that see-sawing idea, and the chnage from Yes, but… to Yes, and… is good. It shows the characters can need some more good fortune towards the end, some extra help and not only more obstacles.
Thanks for sharing this, Jan.
This reminds me of the South Park creators’ “but/therefore” tip, which I use all the time. Love this, Jim–you always offer such good insights and tools.
Exactly, Tiffiany. As long as you can put “but” or “therefore” between your story beats, you’re fine. If you can put “and then x happened,” you’re not so fine. It’s that cause and effect thing again.
Thanks for this reminder of that technique. I really appreciate it.
What I’m taking away from this, which I suspect is going to be invaluable: I need to find the courage to put my characters in more challenging situations that I have to challenge myself to get them out of.
I think that may improve not only my fiction, but my skills and my own character as well. An additional dose of courage.
Who could ask for more?
Yes, Bob, don’t make it too easy for your hero.
In fact, I saw a movie last night where they could have used this technique, called The Informer, based on the crime novel Three Seconds by Swedish writers Roslund & Hellström. A writing duo again. They keep putting the main character into increasingly desperate situations where you can’t belive there’s any way out, until…
And the character got out of each situation on his own, no “cheating” deus ex machina interventions there. Not the greatest film in the world (but not bad), but an excellent example of putting your protagoist through the wringer.
Okay, that’s pretty genius! I’ve never heard of that game….
Fortunately I am going to remember this game!
Unfortunately, I haven’t been writing at all ….